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21h ago

U.S. Retail Sales Slip 0.2% in January, Largest Drop Since May

Underlying demand looked firmer with a gain in the retail-control measure.

FILE - Laptop computers are displayed at a retail store in Vernon Hills, Ill., Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
People walk along Broadway with shopping bags on February 27, 2026, in New York City.
Analysts attributed some of the depressed retail activity to severe winter storms that battered the United States in January

Overview

  • Commerce Department data show the retail-sales control group rose 0.35% in January, a sign of steadier core demand.
  • Sales fell across many categories, led by department stores (-6%), health and personal care (-3%), and gasoline stations (-2.9%).
  • The January reading undershot a FactSet consensus that called for flat month-over-month sales.
  • The report’s publication was pushed back for weeks due to last year’s government shutdown.
  • Economists widely expect larger tax refunds this year to support consumer spending in the first half of 2026.